Tom Petters sentenced

[AgX]

Tom Petters has been sentenced to 50years of imprisonmemt by US court for fraud.

[mgb74]

Yes, but given allowance for time served and possible time off for good behavior, he may serve only 41 years.

[Jeff Kubach]

Greed can creap on you for sure!

Jeff

[AgX]

I am still puzzled by that verdict. Though I should not be surprised as the different national kinds of criminal justice are continuously a topic of the media over here.

[mgb74]

What puzzles you? Too short? Too long? Sentence vs. that for a violent crime?

[AgX]

I am puzzled by the long duration. Over here fraud is a relatively mildly sentenced crime as the opponent in the transaction is participating (by letting himself being betrayed).
You refer to violent crime: As the sentence in this case is practically already a life-long sentence, how would someone be sentenced who commited a violent crime?

[Kirk Keyes]

Violent crimes in the US usually get long sentences and then early parole it seems...

[mgb74]

I'm no expert, but from what I read in the local papers the Petters sentence is a function of a few things:
it was a long running fraud, and multiple frauds, not an isolated incident
he did not plead guilty (kind of a catch-22)
many people were hurt
it's intended as a warning to others.

Perhaps if he had been sentenced before some of the larger scandals came to light (such as Madoff) he would have gotten off a bit easier. But the public is angry.

[MattKing]

I am puzzled by the long duration. Over here fraud is a relatively mildly sentenced crime as the opponent in the transaction is participating (by letting himself being betrayed).
You refer to violent crime: As the sentence in this case is practically already a life-long sentence, how would someone be sentenced who commited a violent crime?

AgX:

Arguably, the USA believes in and uses incarceration more than any other country in the world.

I expect that it has something to do with the fact that there are two parallel systems of criminal justice (federal and state).